Appliance for use in stacking coins for wrapping



June 4, 1957 M. ECONOMOS APPLIANCE FOR USE IN STACKING COINS FOR WRAPPING Filed Jan. 28, 1955 jizz/ezziar y y f p r I/H/ 72X 0 u wwww w p 93.8 J k xat 4 m a J 0 a 1 0/ rl M W 1 4. L, a m;

Mz'lzoiz ii'oizami I W 61 1 2 an" a United States Patent 2,794,305 Patented June 4, 1957 tree APPLIANCE FOR USE INSTACKING COINS 'FOR WRAPPING Milton Economos, Medfield, Mass.

Application January 28, 1955, Seriai No. 484,687

4 Claims. (Cl. 53-413) This invention pertains to appliances useful in the assembling of a plurality of coins of like denomination to form a column or stack preparatory to wrapping them for bank deposit or the like. The invention has for objects the provision of a coin stacking appliance having index means to facilitate the assembly, Without counting, of a definite number of coins in stack formation. A further object is to provide an appliance of the above type which is adapted, without change or adjustment, for use in stacking coins of several difierent denominations. A further object is to provide a coin stacking appliance of a type which makes possible the ready assembly of a wrapper with the stacked coins so that the coins may be wrapped while still positioned in column assembly by the stacking appliance. A further .objectis to provide a stacking appliance of simple, inexpensiveand durable construction whose use demandsno special skill and which is of a material such that it will not scratch nor otherwise mar finished surfaces with which it may be contacted. Other and further objects andadvantages of the invention will be pointed out inthe following. more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

"Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a coin stacking-apparatus embodying the present invention;

:Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the right-hand side of the latter figure;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the device of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 .of 'Fig. 1,.showing that the normal internal diameter of the illustrated device is that of a dime;

'Fig. 6 is a top View of the device of .Fig. .1, with .a stack of twenty half-dollars disposed therein;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing a stack of forty nickels disposed therein;

Fig. 8 is a side view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a paper wrapper positioned within the container, and

'Fig. 9 is a section on the-line 9-9 of Pig. 8.

Referring'to the drawings,-the-improved coin-stacking device is shown as comprising a handle portion 10 and an elongate .coin container 11. The coin container is of generally tubular construction, being conventionally formed from a length of seamless extruded tubing. The material of which this'tubing is made should be resiliently flexible, although normally shape-retaining, and though not necessarily so, is preferably transparent. While natural or synthetic rubber may-be employed in making the part 11, it is preferred to employ a syntheticzplastic, for example vinyl chloride or polyvinyl acetate, with such plasticizers as are necessary to provide the desired degree of resiliency and flexibility. The internal diameter of this tubing should closely approximate the diameter of the smallest coin with which the appliance is to be used; for example the appliance herein shown, which is designed to handle dimes as the smallest coin, would have an internal diameter of approximately When using material such as above described, a wall thickness of A5" is desirable.

The handle portion 10 as here illustratedcomprises a cupdike shell 12 of an appropriate hard material, for example one of the phenolic plastics which may bemolded to shape, this part being cylindrical and desirably of .an actual length of approximately one inch. Its internal diameter is such as to receive the end portion of the tubing which forms the coin containing portion 11-and the wall thickness of the member 12 may for example be approximately 5 depending upon the strength of the material employed. An external diameter of 1 /8" is convenient, although the external diameter may be larger than this if desired. While the outer surface of this handle 12 here shown is smooth, it is contemplated that it may be ribbed or otherwise configured toaiford a firm grip to the fingers.

The left-hand end portion of the tubing of which the part 11 (as viewed in Fig. 1) is made, isseated in the hollow handle member 12 and then a core member 14 which may be of the same material as the part 12 is .inserted, the core 14 being of an external diameter at least as great as the internal diameter of the tubing, thus 'holdingthe end portion of the tubing in 'firm .contact ployed may be approximatelyfive inches.

The .core portion 14 of the handle is provided with .a cylindrical plug 14 coaxial with the tubing, whichpro- ,jects into the tubing from the inner or vright-hand end of "the handle proper, this plug 14 having a right-hand end surface 15 (as viewed in Figs. 1 and 6) which is accurately perpendicular to the axis of the tubing, this surface constituting an abutment .for .the :first coin of the series tobe stacked in'the container. The .container 11 isprovided with an index element 0 (Fig. v1) inthe ,plane of the surface 15, .this index element bein-ghere shown as a circumferential line of a distinctively colored medium. embedded within the-substance of the transparent wall of the part 11. The container is also provided with index elements H, D, Q, N and P, similarin character to the line 0 and spaced from the plane of the surface "15 distances corresponding to the lengths of .cOlumns of .coins of different denominations. Thus, .for example, the index element .H is spaced fromthe surface 15 a distance equal to .the lengthof a column .of half dollars'of a total value of $10.00; the index line D is-spaced from the surface 15 a distance equal to the lengthofa column of dimes of an aggregate value of $5.00; theindex line Q is spaced from the snrfacelSadist-ance equal to a column of quarters aggregating $10.00; the index line'N is spaced from the surface 15 a distance equal to the length 'of a columnof nickels aggregating $2.00; and the'index line ,P is spaced from the surface 15 a distance equal to the length of a column of coins aggregatingSO'cents.

Eithergbefore or'a'fter assembling the aforesaidlength of plastictubing with the'handle, a slot 16 (Fig. 5) is provided, extending longitudinally of the tubing from its free end to the inner 0r right-hand surface of the handle. As here illustrated, this slot is approximately in width, the side walls or edges 17 and 18 of the slot being normally parallel.

Narrow slots or slits 19 and 20 are formed in the tubing at its junction with the handle, these slots or slits 19 and 20 extending downwardly from the side walls 17 and 18 of the slot 16 and, as here shown, terminating, as indicated at 21 in Fig. 1, substantially in the hori- Zontal plane of the axis of the part 11, although they may be extended below this horizontal plane if desired. By the provision of these slots-19 and 20, thermarginal portions of the container 11 at opposite sides of the .slot 16 are freed from the handle so that these marginal portions may be spread apart freely, thus to increase the width. of the slot 16 to an extent suificient to enable 7 half dollars easily to be inserted into the container through the slot 16. A column of half dollars is shown in Fig. 7 6, it being noted that this column the walls 17 even the proportions of the parts are such that even when half dollars are placed within the container not more. than one-half the. circumference of the coins are of halfdollars spreads and 18 of the slot '16 widely apart. Howi exposed, so that the resilient walls of the container firmly.

.grip the coins and prevent their escape from the con- "tainer. The introduction of the coins into the container through the slot 16 is very easy and can be done much fmore quickly than though the coins were obliged to be introduced at the end of an unslotted rigid cylindrical.

container. In Fig. 6 a column of nickels is shown, it being evident that in this instance the side walls 17'and 18 of the slot 16 are not so widely spaced apart, the "nickels beingmore nearly encompassed by the walls of the container than the 'half dollars. In Fig. 5, a 'dime is shown in the container, it being noted that apf proximately four-fifths of the circumference of'the dime contacts the wallsof the container, so that the dime is very firmly held in place. 7 The device may be used merely for assembling coins i in columns of definite value without requiring that they be counted, but on the other hand, it may be employed 7 not only by forming the coin stacks but also to facilitate wrapping the stacked coins. Thus as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, .a paper wrapper W is shown as having been disposed within the container. Since the plug 14 which carries the abutment surface 15 is of substantially less diameter than the tubing of which the container is formed, there is an annular space surrounding the plug 14*,between the latter and the inside surface of the container 11, which permits the left-hand edge E of the wrapper (Fig. 8) to be pushed into contact with the right-hand end surface of the handle proper, this surface thus providing a positioning stop for the wrapper.

The wrapper may be inserted in the empty container if desired before the coins are placed therein, although such a procedure makes it somewhat more difiicult to use the index elements in assembling columns of the desired length. On the other hand, the coins may be introduced into the container as above described, and then by .flexing the wall of the container, the inner surface of which, when made of such materials as above described, is very smooth and slippery, the wrappermay ibe slid. inwardly from the open right-hand end of the cont-ainerand between the container wall and the edges of the stacked coins. The wrapper may then be folded about the stack of coins and crimped at its ends, and withdrawn from the container. Although it has been suggested that the part 11 be formed from a length of tubing, it is manifest that it may 'be moulded to final shape by the use of an appropriate mould if desired.

Whileone desirable embodiment of the invention has -herein been illustrated and described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is inclusive of any and all modifications, either of materials or dimensions, such as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coin stacking appliance capable, without change or adjustment, of use for stacking coins of difierent denominations, said appliance comprising a single elongate tubular cylindr-iform container consisting of a unitary body of flexible resilient material and having a smooth inner curved surface whose normal radius is approximately that of the smallest coin to be wrapped, a handle fixed to the container at one end of the latter, the opposite end of the container being freely open and unobstructed, the container having a longitudinally extending open slot of normally uniform circumferential width extending from its open end to the handle, the handle comprising a part, located within the container, which has a surface which is perpendicular to the axis of the container and which constitutes an abutment for the first coin of the stack, the wall of the container having an index element spaced from said abutment surface a distance equal to the length of a column of like coins of predetermined value, the wall of the container having narrow circumferentially extending slots located closely adjacent to the inner end of the handle and which extend downwardly from opposite edges of said longitudinally extending slot with their lower ends approximately at the horizontal plane of the axis of the container,

thereby to free the marginal portion of the container wall at opposite sides of the longitudinal slot so that at any point in the length of the container said marginal portions of the container wall may be flexed apart to receive between them a coin of the largest denomination to be stacked.

2.. An appliance as set forth in claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a cup-like shell of hard material and that end of the container which is fixed to the handle is -telescoped into said shell, further characterized in that the abutment surface which locates the first coin of the stack is at the inner end of a cylindrical plug coaxial 40 with and which fills that end portion of the container which is within the handle, the plug being of lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the container and extending beyond said slot into the container proper.

3. An appliance according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinally extending slot is of a normal circumferential width,, such that not more than one-half of the circumference of any coin will be exposed at the slot when positioned within the container.

4. An 'appliance according toclaim 1, wherein the container is of transparent material and the index elements are circumferentially extending lines of color em bedded within the container walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 202,545 Holmes Apr. 16, 1878 r 208,902 Fuller Oct. 15, 1878 209,585 Kaymond et al Nov. 5, 1878 734,806 Bowen July 28, 1903 1,130,978 Jackson Mar. 9, 1915 2,119,773 Buckner June 7, 1938 2,256,l07 Zadek Sept. 16, 1941 I 2,554,713 McKoy May 29, 1951 2,578,134 Hendrick Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 74,412 Netherlands Apr. 15, 1954 

